Haaland's Diet and Regime: The Secrets Behind the Goal-Scoring Machine

Erling Haaland's winning goal for Manchester City against Arsenal has brought his team closer to another English Premier League title. On Sunday, his 2-1 strike effectively put the Citizens on par with their main rivals this season. The Norwegian leads the league in goals with 23, and has also contributed seven assists. What's behind this incredible form, and how does he maintain his peak physical condition?

Haaland himself reveals all, actively sharing insights on his YouTube channel.

Haaland's 6,000-Calorie-a-Day Diet

It turns out that the standard 2,500 calories daily simply aren't enough to fuel the Premier League's most dangerous striker. Chicken and rice won't cut it for Haaland. Beef hearts and liver are often on his menu, as highlighted in the documentary "Haaland: The Big Decision" – items you certainly won't find on a typical pub menu.

"You guys don't eat this (heart and liver), but I care about my body," the prolific goalscorer explains in the documentary. "I think the most important thing is to eat quality food, as local as possible."

"Or the local cow that's grazing right there? I eat the heart and the liver."

These unconventional eating habits are part of his 6,000-calorie-a-day diet. Yes, you read that correctly. When consuming such a massive amount of calories, not everything can be "clean" food.

And indeed, it isn't. Haaland maintains his love for meat and occasionally swaps animal organs for a greasy kebab. In the documentary about his move to Manchester, he openly admits his fondness for kebabs with a simple: "I love it."

His shopping list – as seen on his YouTube channel – regularly includes huge barbecue steaks, honey, and plenty of milk. Haaland adores milk, especially raw milk, which he once called his "magic potion."

The Norwegian enjoys combining his milk with a breakfast of eggs on sourdough toast and coffee with maple syrup at his six-bedroom mansion in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, which he shares with his girlfriend, Isabel Johansen.

"Coffee is a superfood in my eyes – if you do it right," Haaland states on his YouTube channel.

"Why? It depends on the quality, when you drink it, and, of course, how. I love my coffee. It has to have a little (raw) milk in it – also a superfood, in my opinion."

In the video, Haaland also showcases his love for fish, having sea bass, asparagus, and egg-fried rice for lunch before joining his teammates on the pitch at Manchester City's training ground.

Red Light Therapy and Recovery Methods

To maintain the level at which he plays every week, Haaland must be incredibly disciplined with his recovery – not just at City's training facility in East Manchester, but also at home.

His preferred methods? Red light therapy, saunas, ice baths, and individual physiotherapy sessions. All of these help him get the most out of his body.

In the first video on his eponymous channel, launched in October, the Norwegian demonstrates the importance of getting some early morning sunlight with a walk.

Haaland enjoys a calm yet productive start to his day, spending time with his girlfriend, whom he met during their time in the Bryne youth academy.

However, his tranquility is often interrupted by Manchester City's physiotherapist, Mario Pafundi, whom Haaland jokingly calls the "Italian devil," after which his workday truly begins.

On YouTube, Pafundi can be seen giving him a massage and therapy, while the City star reveals the secrets behind his "crazy" goals – including his famous strike against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

"I have natural flexibility in my groin and hips, which is extremely important for me," Haaland says. "How else would you score goals like that? You need mobility and flexibility to score those crazy goals, so we have to maintain it."

The session also includes red light therapy, which uses infrared rays that penetrate deep into tissues and joints to aid recovery. Proponents claim that LED lights can repair damaged tissues, soothe the body's response to injuries, and reduce inflammation.

"We get a lot of red light from the sun," he adds.

But since the video was filmed in autumn, when days get shorter, Haaland uses a machine to "get some red light on my back and body."

Most evenings, Haaland takes an ice bath and uses a sauna – things he tries to do "almost every day and at least five times a week."

It has long been known that cold baths, though uncomfortable, are excellent for recovery after intense exertion. Haaland is not the only footballer who uses them regularly – Cristiano Ronaldo also enjoys late-night ice plunges.

An ice bath provides a kind of shock to an athlete's metabolic system, while also helping to combat muscle soreness.